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Biggest winners and losers of the NBA trade deadline

By Jack Duggan

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 27: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers tries to pass over Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on January 27, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 27: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers tries to pass over Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on January 27, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) /
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Biggest winners and losers of the NBA trade deadline
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 23: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers falls after getting fouled by Quentin Grimes #6 of the New York Knicks as Obi Toppin #1 and Julius Randle #30 of the Knicks look on in the first half at Madison Square Garden on November 23, 2021 in New York City, Biggest winners and losers of the NBA trade deadline. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Losers of the NBA trade deadline: Fans of the Lakers and Knicks

The Lakers and Knicks end up on my list of losers not because of bad trades, but because of their inaction. They have both had incredibly disappointing seasons – the Lakers currently sit at ninth in the West with only 26 wins and the Knicks find themselves at 12th in the East with 25 wins.

Both teams made a splash in the offseason. The Lakers traded for former MVP guard Russell Westbrook, and the Knicks signed big-time names such as Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier.

Since the offseason, however, both teams have struggled to find consistency and success with their new pieces. This has led many fans to assume that they could make some major moves at the deadline.

Both teams were involved in heaps of rumors, with big names like Russel Westbrook and Julius Randle rumored to be involved in deals. However, when 3 p.m. rolled around on Thursday afternoon, neither team completed a single trade. This is obviously frustrating for fans of the teams who almost certainly had high hopes and expected the teams to make improvements.

The Knicks at least traded for Cam Reddish back in January, but even that move hasn’t made much of a difference for New York, as Reddish has struggled to get consistent playing time.

Fans of these two ball clubs simply have to hope that the keys to saving their season are already in their locker rooms, because if not, more disappointment may be in their future.